Sometimes, museums must make a decision about if an artifact fits within their collection’s scope, and in the case of an artifact that does not, museums can reach out to other organizations who can better care and support the object. Recently, the McClung’s collections manager found a yellowed letter which had not been seen before. The letter, written in March of 1890, was by Mrs. Ida Shepardson, a seamstress from Louisville, KY writing to a client regarding a recent purchase. The letter included a business card and a small paper mobile. A letter written in 1890 by a woman who ran her own business is a wonderful artifact to find, but the McClung was not the best place for this letter to be kept. During the research process of determining who Mrs. Ida Shepardson was and what her life was like, I reached out to the Filson Historical Society located in Louisville. They provided a wealth of information about Ida Shepardson and her husband William, a lumber salesman. After the amazing research they provided, it was decided jointly that the best place for this letter to be kept would be with the Filson, who specifically focus on collecting the history of Louisville. We were able to organize a transfer of the artifacts, which can now be cared for by a collection they fit into. Transfer of artifacts is a wonderful way for museums to build connections with other organizations and help to create the best collections that we can. 




Katherine Brown, Honors BA Anthropology -- McClung Collections Intern